scholarly journals Membrane Fusion by X-Rays: From Model Membranes to Organelles

2014 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 3a
Author(s):  
Tim Salditt
2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 474-482
Author(s):  
Trinh T. Nguyen ◽  
David T. Cramb

Membrane fusion is vital for cellular function and is generally mediated via fusogenic proteins and peptides. The mechanistic details and subsequently the transition state dynamics of membrane fusion will be dependent on the type of the fusogenic agent. We have previously established the potential of general anesthetics as a new class of fusion triggering agents in model membranes. We employed two-photon excitation fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (TPE-FCCS) to report on vesicle association kinetics and steady-state fluorescence dequenching assays to monitor lipid mixing kinetics. Using halothane to trigger fusion in 110 nm diameter dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) liposomes, we found that lipid rearrangement towards the formation of the fusion stalk was rate limiting. The activation barrier for halothane induced membrane fusion in 110 nm vesicles was found to be ∼40 kJ mol−1. We calculated the enthalpy and entropy of the transition state to be ∼40 kJ mol−1 and ∼180 J mol−1 K−1, respectively. We have found that the addition of halothane effectively lowers the energy barrier for membrane fusion in less curved vesicles largely due to entropic advantages.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 5142-5152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Pascual ◽  
Miguel R. Moreno ◽  
José Villalaín

ABSTRACT The human immunodeficiency virus gp41 envelope protein mediates the entry of the virus into the target cell by promoting membrane fusion. In order to gain new insights into the viral fusion mechanism, we studied a 35-residue peptide pertaining to the loop domain of gp41, both in solution and membrane bound, by using infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy. We show here that the peptide, which has a membrane-interacting surface, binds and interacts with phospholipid model membranes and tends to aggregate in the presence of a membranous medium and induce the leakage of vesicle contents. The results reported in this work, i.e., the destabilization and fusion of negatively charged model membranes, suggest an essential role of the loop domain in the membrane fusion process induced by gp41.


1993 ◽  
Vol 229 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
An-chi Cheng ◽  
Jacqueline L. Hogan ◽  
Martin Caffrey

1979 ◽  
pp. 1-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Papahadjopoulos ◽  
G. Poste ◽  
W. J. Vail

1994 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
E. Hildner

AbstractOver the last twenty years, orbiting coronagraphs have vastly increased the amount of observational material for the whitelight corona. Spanning almost two solar cycles, and augmented by ground-based K-coronameter, emission-line, and eclipse observations, these data allow us to assess,inter alia: the typical and atypical behavior of the corona; how the corona evolves on time scales from minutes to a decade; and (in some respects) the relation between photospheric, coronal, and interplanetary features. This talk will review recent results on these three topics. A remark or two will attempt to relate the whitelight corona between 1.5 and 6 R⊙to the corona seen at lower altitudes in soft X-rays (e.g., with Yohkoh). The whitelight emission depends only on integrated electron density independent of temperature, whereas the soft X-ray emission depends upon the integral of electron density squared times a temperature function. The properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) will be reviewed briefly and their relationships to other solar and interplanetary phenomena will be noted.


2000 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 263-264
Author(s):  
K. Sundara Raman ◽  
K. B. Ramesh ◽  
R. Selvendran ◽  
P. S. M. Aleem ◽  
K. M. Hiremath

Extended AbstractWe have examined the morphological properties of a sigmoid associated with an SXR (soft X-ray) flare. The sigmoid is cospatial with the EUV (extreme ultra violet) images and in the optical part lies along an S-shaped Hαfilament. The photoheliogram shows flux emergence within an existingδtype sunspot which has caused the rotation of the umbrae giving rise to the sigmoidal brightening.It is now widely accepted that flares derive their energy from the magnetic fields of the active regions and coronal levels are considered to be the flare sites. But still a satisfactory understanding of the flare processes has not been achieved because of the difficulties encountered to predict and estimate the probability of flare eruptions. The convection flows and vortices below the photosphere transport and concentrate magnetic field, which subsequently appear as active regions in the photosphere (Rust & Kumar 1994 and the references therein). Successive emergence of magnetic flux, twist the field, creating flare productive magnetic shear and has been studied by many authors (Sundara Ramanet al.1998 and the references therein). Hence, it is considered that the flare is powered by the energy stored in the twisted magnetic flux tubes (Kurokawa 1996 and the references therein). Rust & Kumar (1996) named the S-shaped bright coronal loops that appear in soft X-rays as ‘Sigmoids’ and concluded that this S-shaped distortion is due to the twist developed in the magnetic field lines. These transient sigmoidal features tell a great deal about unstable coronal magnetic fields, as these regions are more likely to be eruptive (Canfieldet al.1999). As the magnetic fields of the active regions are deep rooted in the Sun, the twist developed in the subphotospheric flux tube penetrates the photosphere and extends in to the corona. Thus, it is essentially favourable for the subphotospheric twist to unwind the twist and transmit it through the photosphere to the corona. Therefore, it becomes essential to make complete observational descriptions of a flare from the magnetic field changes that are taking place in different atmospheric levels of the Sun, to pin down the energy storage and conversion process that trigger the flare phenomena.


Author(s):  
R. F. Bils ◽  
W. F. Diller ◽  
F. Huth

Phosgene still plays an important role as a toxic substance in the chemical industry. Thiess (1968) recently reported observations on numerous cases of phosgene poisoning. A serious difficulty in the clinical handling of phosgene poisoning cases is a relatively long latent period, up to 12 hours, with no obvious signs of severity. At about 12 hours heavy lung edema appears suddenly, however changes can be seen in routine X-rays taken after only a few hours' exposure (Diller et al., 1969). This study was undertaken to correlate these early changes seen by the roengenologist with morphological alterations in the lungs seen in the'light and electron microscopes.Forty-two adult male and female Beagle dogs were selected for these exposure experiments. Treated animals were exposed to 94.5-107-5 ppm phosgene for 10 min. in a 15 m3 chamber. Roentgenograms were made of the thorax of each animal before and after exposure, up to 24 hrs.


Author(s):  
R. H. Duff

A material irradiated with electrons emits x-rays having energies characteristic of the elements present. Chemical combination between elements results in a small shift of the peak energies of these characteristic x-rays because chemical bonds between different elements have different energies. The energy differences of the characteristic x-rays resulting from valence electron transitions can be used to identify the chemical species present and to obtain information about the chemical bond itself. Although these peak-energy shifts have been well known for a number of years, their use for chemical-species identification in small volumes of material was not realized until the development of the electron microprobe.


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